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G W Bush just can’t help pissing people off.
He has a gift.
While it’s understandable that Liberals would revile him, he seems to go out of his way to alienate Conservatives as well.
Take his recent South American tour, which highlighted U.S.-Latin American trade relations, and brought Brazilian ethanol to the forefront as a trade topic – one that would produce tens of thousands of jobs in Brazil and help America move away from fossil fuels. A win-win all around.
Sadly, when Bush got to Mexico, he sounded less like American icon Milton Friedman, whose agenda he’d advanced early on, and more like, Ted Kennedy, who he extolled as a “one of the best legislative senators there is," giving an insight into why so many Conservatives have always been tepid, at best, to old G W.
Mexico is a country rich in natural resources. Perhaps the only thing it’s richer in is its culture of corruption. It’s that inbred corruption that’s kept Mexico from becoming a First World nation and a better neighbor to the U.S.
Unfortunately, Bush took the opportunity, while in Mexico to extol the Kennedy immigration agenda – no fence, no increased border security, a faster track immigration process and a “guest worker” (Amnesty Program) for illegal aliens already here.
That inane “Open Borders” policy is suicide for America and disastrous to American workers.
“Cheap” illegal/undocumented labor is NOT cheap!
Illegal immigration costs Americans some 5 times what that “cheap labor delivers.” Moreover, while a select few Americans benefit disproportionately from illegal immigration, the vast majority of Americans (workers) are irreparably harmed by it, as illegal immigration’s “cheap labor,” puts a powerful and persistent downward pressure on U.S. wage rates. It directly suppresses unskilled and low-skilled labor wage rates (the floor) and as the floor is lowered, it drives all other wage rates down with it.
Winking at illegal immigration and even seeking ways to "fast-track guest workers to American citizenship," isn't just bad economic policy, it's a security risk as well.
These days I don't look to the Bush Admin for leadership. And I type that as someone committed to the GOP drafting and presenting the best possible ticket for '08.
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you.
ReplyDeleteAt best this administration has been a mixed bag.
I'd give it very good marks on the economy and on the WoT, but very low marks on the border issue and for idiotic moves like supporting the expensive and so far ineffective NCLB Act and the prescription drug boondoggle.
The GOP has been pretty much rudderless since Newt left. He was the one who held them to the smaller government philosophy.
I think W is a moderate- which means he will please no one. W knows illegal immigration will continue. He was a twice elected governor of Texas. He also knows both ideologies (conservative and liberal) tend to be (forgive me) so hardlined on the situation.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the immigration ban you all dream of will never happen even with another Republican. Many people of both stripes love the cheap labor illiegal immigrants offer.
And I hate to disagree with you JMK, but many of the goals Republicans try to reach end up just like Democrats. After all, the Medicare program had votes from fellow Republicans and even Reagan added more bureaucracy than less
Rachel you're a 100% right and that's why it's so vital to vote for those who see "Government as the problem, not the solution," as Reagan said, NOT because they'll accomplish all that much cutting, but that they might (MIGHT) come in with just a bit more healthy skepticism about government's abilities and a belief in it's limitations.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with voting for those who believe every problem is a government solution is that they don't have a shred of the skepticism needed.
You're right that even Reagan didn't cut government at all. In fact, over the last five decades only the Gingrich Congress has been able to reduce deficit spending to such an extent that a surplus was created in the wake of those spending reductions.
Sure, it was short-lived, but it shows that a healthy skepticism in government action is a wonderful thing.
It's not a panacea and it may not even reduce government growth all that much...but sometimes, just holding government growth in check is the best you can ask for.
As for illegal immigration, yes, "cheap labor" has consistently trumped everything else...even national security and that makes it pretty difficult to take "national security Republicans" all that seriously now-a-days.
I don't disagree with you as much as you might think.